TELLURIDE – Once a year, local skies fill with color as the Telluride Balloon Festival ascends over town. This weekend mark’s the festival’s 29th year, with 14 pilots flying and landing in the Telluride Valley, Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3. Balloons will inflate and fly from Town Park at about 6:30 a.m. both days, weather permitting, and provide numerous opportunities for amateur and professional photographers to shoot the colorful balloons. Landings can happen in town, along the spur and on the Valley Floor; some happen right in local neighborhoods in the middle of the street.

For those non-early risers (and weather permitting), another opportunity to see the colorful globes of light occurs on Saturday at dusk, when ten balloons will hover over Colorado Ave. for the Main Street GLO, a favorite annual event. This is another great opportunity for photographers to capture a beautiful scene, while crowds of all ages spill into the street to take in the magnificent, five-story hot air balloons. It’s a chance to get up close to the balloons, and talk with the pilots about their aircraft and what it’s like to fly in Telluride’s narrow valley.

This year pilots come from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and as far away as Ohio. Balloons come with monikers like Koshare Gallup, Windstar, Basketcase, SkyTrek, Mary Alice in Wonderland, Sunny Side Up, Whosyadaddy, Skycandy, Skyleidoscope, and more. Peter Procopio is again this year’s Balloonmeister, leading the events alongside very capable safety oficer Tom Robinson, both from Gallup, New Mex., where they run the annual Red Rocks Balloon Rally in December.

For his fourth year, Ballooning Magazine photographer Paul deBerjeois will conduct a free photography workshop, enabling attendees to learn how to get the best balloon pictures – even using their cell phones. Show up at Christ Presbyterian Church, 434 W. Columbia, downstairs, on Saturday at 1 p.m. to learn from a real pro.

Local intermediate school students will get a hands-on preview of all that is involved with hot air balloons on Friday morning when three balloons will inflate on the school’s soccer field. Fifth graders will “crew” for these pilots, learning how to put a balloon together, inflate it, and then wrap it all up at the end.

Early morning festival attendees in Town Park will be able to purchase coffee, hot chocolate, and homemade goodies from local Young Life Club members who are earning their way to summer camp.

Volunteers are always needed to help pilots inflate and launch their balloons; those who help on Saturday morning and evening just might be rewarded with a flight on Sunday morning. If you would like to help, call Marilyn Branch, 970/708-2202, and let her know you will show up by 6 a.m. at Town Park to help.